Prosecutors in Uganda have preferred treason charges against three Ugandan journalists who published a news report claiming of a possible coup in Rwanda.
The newspaper is reported to have claimed in its Monday edition that Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni was plotting to overthrow Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Police on Wednesday raided the offices of the privately-owned English-language newspaper the ‘Red Pepper’ arresting several of the workers.
Police spokesperson Emillian Kayima told local media that apart from the story being false it was also a threat to regional security.
Kayima is quoted as saying that “The Uganda police force initiated investigations into the serious statements and insinuations in that story that have grave implications on national and regional security and stability.”
Lawyer for the newspaper Dickens Byamukama said the eight directors and editors were detained at a prison outside the capital Kampala.
“Their phones, laptops were confiscated, plus other official and private equipment,” Byamukama said.
The journalists have now been charged together with five other directors of the Pepper Publications Group. They are also facing charges of disturbing the peace of Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni and others.
“According to the charge and caution statement read to them, they will be charged with offensive communication, disturbing the peace of president Museveni, Salim Saleh and Security Minister Henry Tumukunde. The main charge preferred against them is treason,” one of their lawyers said.
Source: Africafeeds.com
